Re: [directory-discuss] Web of Trust, MyWOT/WOT: Website Reputation Rating -- should we keep it blacklisted?

[Ian Kelling]

David Hedlund <address@hidden> writes:

> On November 1, 2016, German public broadcasting station NDR
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norddeutscher_Rundfunk> reported the
> results of an investigation by in-house journalists, showing that WOT
> collected, recorded, analyzed and sold user-related data to third
> parties.^[12]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-Tagesschau_20161101-12>
> ^[13]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-Spiegel_20161101-13>
> ^[14] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-14> The data
> obtained was traceable to WOT and could be assigned to specific
> individuals, despite WOT's claim that user data was anonymized.^[15]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-15> ^[16]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-16> The NDR
> investigative journalism report was based on freely available sample
> data, and revealed that sensitive private information of more than 50
> users could be retrieved.^[13]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-Spiegel_20161101-13>
> The information included websites visited, account names and email
> addresses, potentially revealing user illnesses, sexual preferences and
> drug consumption. The journalists also reconstructed a media company's
> confidential revenue data, and details about an ongoing police
> investigation.^[12]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-Tagesschau_20161101-12> 
>
>
> German media contacted WOT with the results of the investigation prior
> to publication of the report. WOT declined to comment on the
> findings.^[12]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-Tagesschau_20161101-12>
> ^[13]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-Spiegel_20161101-13>
>
> A few days after the news story aired, Mozilla removed the browser
> add-on from the Firefox <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox> add-on
> store.^[17] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-17>
> ^[18] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-18> WOT
> subsequently removed its browsing tool for other browsers, including
> Chrome <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome> and Opera
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_%28web_browser%29>.^[19]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-mozaddon1-19>
> ^[11] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-PCyank-11>
> ^[20] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-20> The WOT
> "Mobile Security & Protection" mobile app
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_app> was removed from Google Play
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Play>, approximately one week
> after the extension was removed from the Google Chrome extension store.
>
> In a blog post published on December 19, 2016, WOT Services stated that
> they had upgraded their browser extension, and released it in the Google
> Chrome extension gallery. The upgraded version included "several major
> code updates in order to protect our users privacy and an opt-out option
> from the user Settings, for users who do not wish to share data with us
> but still want to have easy access to WOT."^[21]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-21> In February
> 2017, Mozilla reinstated the WOT browsing tool in the Firefox add-on
> store.^[22]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOT_Services#cite_note-mozaddon2-22>
>
>
>
> Should we keep WOT black listed on the FSD?:
> https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Blacklist/Web_of_Trust_-_WOT

Until I see a 3rd party source that has investigated and says WOT is
safe, I think it should remain blacklisted. Mozilla put them back, but
they didn't make any public comment, so we have no idea how close they
looked. I read the WOT blog post and it was not especially reassuring.

-- 
Ian Kelling
https://iankelling.org